Galactomannan gum thickeners are used where viscosity control of aqueous solutions or slurries is needed. For example, galactomannan gum thickeners are used to control the rheological properties of oil well drilling fluids and fire retardant compositions. When galactomannan gum-thickened aqueous compositions are stored for long intervals of time, viscosity loss sometimes occurs. The stability problem is more severe with compositions contacting steel apparently due to the destabilizing effect of ferrous ion. To extend storage stability of galactomannan gum-thickened compositions, the use of certain salts and of heavy metal ions have been proposed. See, for instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,146,200 and 3,634,234. However, because of low efficacy of these known stabilizers, their use has not been generally accepted. Therefore, improved stabilizers for galactomannan gum-thickened compositions are needed.